Boiler tube-sheet.



No.896,045. PATENTED AUG. 11,1908.

G. H. RHEUTAN. BOILER TUBE SHEET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1907.

"r 'FTTFV UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GARRETT H. RHEUTAN, OF FITGHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOROBERT B. LINCOLN, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOILER TUBE-SHEET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARRETT H. RHEUTAN, of Fitchburg, in the county ofIVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Boiler Tube-Sheets, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a boiler tube sheet of the character shown inLetters Pat: ent of the United States, No. 740,923, dated October 6,1903. The tube sheet shown in the said patent is intended particularlyfor a boiler of the return-tubular fire-tube type, and is characterizedby a truss crossing the sheet transversely, and "presented edgewise tothe general plane of the sheet, the object of the truss being tostrengthen the tube sheet, and render the employment of bracing by staysor other means unnecessary.

The present invention has for its object to still further increase thestrength and stiffness of the tube sheet, and it consists in providingthe truss above mentioned with transverse waves, which impart to thetruss a sinuous form throughout substantially its entire length.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a return-tubular boiler providedwith a tube sheet embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section online 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 10 represents the shell of a return-tubular boiler, and11 represents the fire-tubes having the usual location in the lower partof said shell, their ends being fixed in the perforations of thetube-sheet or head. Said head is constructed with a substantially-flatperforated lower ortion 13 whose holes receive the tube-en s, anoutwardly bulged convex portion 14 above the flat portion 13 andoccupying substantially the whole width of the tube-sheet, and ahorizontal connecting shelf or truss 15 integral with the metal orsubstance of the portions 13 1 1, in other words, continuous with theweb of the sheet and extending transversely across said sheet. Theconvex portion 14 has the natural shape of greatest resistance which itwould assume if free to adjust itself to the pressure of the boiler,

and the shelf 15 forms a transverse truss presented edgewise to thegeneral plane of the tube-sheet and to the direction of pressure fromwithin the boiler. The effect of such construction is to so stiffen andstrengthen the tube-sheet that the necessity for staying its upperportion is eliminated or reduced to a minimum. The head or tubesheet hasa cylindrical flange 16 for securing it to the shell 10 with rivets 17.

The construction thus far described is identical with that shown in theabove-mentioned Letters Patent, N o. 7 40,923.

In carrying out the present invention I provide the truss with aplurality of transverse waves, which are so formed and arranged as togive the truss a sinuous form throughout substantially its entirelength. The crests of the waves extend crosswise of the truss, and eachwave occupies the entire width of the truss. The effect of the sinuousform thus imparted to the truss, is to materially increase its strengthand stiffness, and prevent the form of the angles resulting from theunion of the truss with the portions of the sheet above and below it,from being changed by pressure exerted on the head. With a flat trussthere is some liability of the weakening of the said angles by pulsatingmovements imparted to the truss and the adjacent parts of the tube sheetwhen the boiler is in use, particularly in large boilers such as thoseof the marine type. This liability is removed by imparting to the trussa sinuous form throughout substantially the entire length of the truss,as shown in Fig. 1.

I claim:

A tube sheet for fire-tube boilers having a truss crossing the sheettransversely and presented edgewise to the general plane of the sheet,the truss being provided with transverse waves which impart to it asinuous form throughout substantially its entire length.

7 In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

GARRETT H. RHEUTAN. Witnesses:

ALvAH M. LEVY, ELMER O. ELLIOTT.

